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The wisdom, and limits, of our spiritual leaders

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Jesus gave the scribes and Pharisees a serve not because their teachings were wrong, but because they were too wrapped up in their own splendidness. Photo: Unsplash.com.

Have you ever had someone—a spiritual leader of some kind—come between you and God? I have, and it’s awful.

I’m trying to do more regular lectio divina this year, and I was reflecting on Matthew chapter 23.

This is where Jesus says that we must not let ourselves be called rabbi, teacher, or father.

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It’s such a good warning about the dangers that come with any kind of spiritual leadership.

Jesus gave the scribes and Pharisees a serve not because their teachings were wrong, but because they were too wrapped up in their own splendidness.

Everything they did was geared towards polishing their image. It was all public relations.

Does this mean that we should shun our spiritual leaders, and avoid taking leadership roles ourselves?

Of course not. Jesus just wants you to get your priorities right first.

Why did Jesus warn against being called “rabbi” or “teacher?” Because rabbis always founded a school of thought.

We have one rabbi—Jesus himself. He founded the church precisely to stop faction fighting, so that one single united voice would interpret scripture and the law for everyone. Photo: Unsplash.com.

They interpreted the scriptures and the law in specific ways and taught their followers to do the same.

Your rabbi had the right interpretation. All the other rabbis were plain wrong or just less enlightened than yours.

Jesus doesn’t want this for his church. St Paul said the same thing when he criticised Christians for forming factions around himself or Cephas or Apollos (1 Cor 3:4).

We have one rabbi—Jesus himself. He founded the church precisely to stop faction fighting, so that one single united voice would interpret scripture and the law for everyone.

(Of course, we decided that we knew better. Hence the mess you see around you today).

It’s the same with calling someone “father.” In the Old Testament, a father had immense power over his children.

He was responsible for naming a child and could give or withhold blessings. “Father” was also used as an honorific for a very holy person (2 Kings 2:12; 13:14).

It’s fine to call a priest “Father” because that’s part of his job description. He’s a priest, so his main job is to perform sacrifices.

And he’s also a spiritual father who must serve, protect, and provide for his family.

But in the past, some spiritual directors and religious superiors—and even parish priests—have demanded slavish or “blind” obedience from their flocks.

It’s fine to call a priest “Father” because that’s part of his job description. He’s a priest, so his main job is to perform sacrifices. Photo: Unsplash.com.

This was not always helpful for anyone’s spiritual growth.

Obedience is a virtue, but it also has limits. Otherwise, it can easily tip over into idolatry and spiritual (and sometimes) sexual abuse.

What happens when we don’t heed this warning? We’ve seen many examples in the church’s history.

A gifted, charismatic Catholic rises to prominence as a teacher, speaker, or priest. But gradually their ministry becomes all about them.

They attract followers who adore them. These people will protect their “wonderful” leader from any criticism and will attack the leader’s critics in turn.

It doesn’t matter what offences the person commits. Their followers will always find a whole list of excuses (and conspiracies) to explain everything away.

These charismatic but very flawed people have a way of moving like the moon in front of the sun, so that they eclipse God himself.

Like the moon during a solar eclipse, there’s a lovely halo of radiance all around them. But the fact is that they’re blocking out the sun.

It gets very cold during a solar eclipse, and quite dark. It’s the same in the spiritual life when a strong personality comes between you and God.

spiritual leader
Like the moon during a solar eclipse, there’s a lovely halo of radiance all around them. But the fact is that they’re blocking out the sun. Photo: unsplash.com.

So perhaps what Jesus is saying here is: Do not give a flawed human person the rights and powers of this sort of “father” over you.

You should only give that obedience to God himself, who is your true—and best—father.

There’s a flipside to this. Many people are timid and unsure, and they love to have a strong leader to follow.

They might not realise it, but they’re really trying to avoid taking responsibility for their own spiritual lives.

Jesus calls us to far greater courage than this. That’s why we receive the gift of fortitude at our confirmation.

We are called first of all to govern ourselves under the church’s guidance—and not simply hand that government over to someone with a nice smile and a strong personality.

Jesus doesn’t want his followers trapped in miserable little cults.

He wants us all out in the broad sunlight of the church, enjoying ourselves and talking to each other.

Spiritual leadership is a great and positive part of this—but only when it’s kept within its proper boundaries.

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